The Story of the 79 Armoured Division
The Breakout
By the 7th of August the enemy had been driven back to the general line Vire Mont Pincon Thoarn and it was at this moment that he chose to launch nearly all his available armour westwards in a desperate attempt to reach Avranches on the coast of Brittany, and so cut the American Armies in two.
For about a week the fighting was intense and the cards ran even, but by the 12th of August the season had opened with a retreat which was shortly to become a rout.
The role allotted to Second Army was to narrow the corridor through which the enemy was aiming to withdraw; after securing, North of Thury Harcourt, a bridgehead over the Orne which was then held for several days against determined counter attacks, the advance went on astride the river, and towards it from the West where the Americans were making good headway. It resulted by mid-August in a reduction of the escape outlet to a narrow gap in the area between Trun and Falaise.
Meantime General Simonds, the Commander of the 2nd Canadian Corps, had massed a considerable weight of troops South of Caen to break through the enemy positions astride the CaenFalaise road.
The following troops of the Division took part:
In support 51st DivisionIn support 2nd Canadian Division
22 Dragoonsx Lothians & Border Yeomanry
8o Assault Squadron RE 79 Assault Squadron RE
In Corps Reserve
141 RAC, less 'C' Squadron
87 Assault Squadron RE
The Breakout
The plan was bold and unorthodox, aiming to do by night what had failed by day, namely, penetration' by armour of the enemy's position. As the going was good and no mine-fields reported, it was considered that, with the aid of direction-keeping devices, tanks should be able to reach an objective some 6,000 yards away before it was light enough for enemy gunners to aim.
On the 2nd Canadian Division front armoured regiments of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade led, accompanied by infantry in armoured carriers. 144 R.A.C. and the Northamptonshire Yeomanry af 33rd Armoured Brigade (later to become part of 79th Armoured Division) were in the van on the left, moving in armoured columns, each comprising about one armoured regiment, one infantry battalion, some Crabs, AVREs and Bulldozers.
In spite of the dense haze created by the artillery barrage and countless other complications, by reason of good going and no mines, by prolific use of Verey lights and moonlight, both natural and artificial, and by a very high standard of ,,leadership on the part of all officers and tank commanders concerned, the operation was a success.
Much of the credit for the successful maintenance of this night advance is due to Lieutenant-Colonel A. Jolly who was commanding the leading tanks of 144 R.A.C. (now 4 Royal Tanks) in person. He had prev'iously been GSO. I of 79th Armoured Division and later became Chief of Staff of the Division (Colonel G. S.).
The object had been achieved, and a lodgment secured well behind the enemy's anti-tank screen based on Tilly-Ia-Campagne. The leading infantry had reached their objectives, Cramesnil and St. Aignan on the left and on the right the high ground of Point 122.
The part played by units of the Division was small but not unimportant. 79 Assault Squadron RE. had marked the route forward for the Canadians and Crabs had silenced
MESSAGES FROM THE KING
AND THE SUPREME COMMANDER
MESSAGE FROM HIS MAJESTY THE KING
"To you, and to all in the Allied Expeditionary Force, I send my warmest congratulations on the glorious victories already gained in France. All my peoples will join me in thanking God for the outstanding success vouchsafed to Allied arms."
MESSAGE FROM THE SUPREME COMMANDER
ALLied Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen:
Through your combined skill, valor and fortitude, you have created in France a fleeting but definite opportunity for a major Allied victory, one whose realisation will mean notable progress toward the final downfall of our enemy. In the past, I have, in moments of unusual significance, made special appeals to the Allied Forces it has been my honor to command. Without exception the response has been unstinted and the results beyond my expectations.
Because the victory we can now achieve is infinitely greater than any it has so far been possible to accomplish in the west, and because this opportunity may be grasped only through the utmost zeal, determination and speedy action, I make my present appeal to you more urgent than ever before.
I request every airman to make it his direct responsibility that the enemy is blasted unceasingly by day and by night, and is denied safety either in fight or in flight.
I request every sailor to make sure that no part of the hostile forces can either escape or be reinforced by sea, and that comrades on the land want for nothing that guns and ships and ships' companies can bring to them.
I request every soldier to go forward to his assigned objective with the determination that the enemy can survive only through surrender; let no foot of ground once gained be relinquished nor a single German escape through a line once established.
With all of us resolutely performing our special tasks we can make this week a momentous one in the history of this wara brilliant and fruitful week for us, a fateful one for the ambitions of the Nazi tyrants.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER.
13 August, 1944.
several 88 mm guns. They had followed immediately behind the leading armour on each sector and had in most cases found themselves leading the' columns on to their objectives. They met no mines.
General Simonds wrote the following to the Divisional
Commander:
'1 would like to add a special word of praise of units of the 79th Armoured Division that have been working with us.
2nd Canadian Division and 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade attribute the success of their advance on the night 7/8 August very largely to the assistance given in direction-keeping by the squadrons of 79th Armoured Division working with them and the Crocodiles were invaluable in the mopping up of May-Sur-Orne." /
This success was rapidly 'followed by a six-day advance as far as St. Pierre-sur-Dives.
During this advance on the 14th August, all three Squadrons of the Lothians gave fire support to Canadian armour in their mass assault across the Laison; Mines were not encountered but many lives were lost before the high ground above Falaise was taken.
The 30th Corps was assisted on the Rivers Orne and Laison by 26,80 and 87 Assault Squadrons RE. who, between the 5th and 14th of August, demolished defended houses with their Petards, prepared crossings and made use of fascines and Scissors bridges (on loan) to get the 7th Armoured Division across.
Thus was the breakout effected and the escape route of the German armour reduced to the neck of an uncomfortably small bottle. The name of Falaise will be recorded in history as the scene of one of the greatest military disasters ever experienced. 200 tanks, 60 assault guns, 250 towed guns, more than 2,700 motor vehicles and countless horsed transport were destroyed or captured. No one who saw., that scene of havoc could doubt the extent of the enemy's losses or fail to recognise a portent of things to come.
